Sister Act

   Sister Act is a musical written by Cherie Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner. It is based on the hit 1992 film comedy of the same name. It was an amazing musical that had me crying from laughter from start to finish. This musical starts with learning the story of Deloris who is a lounge singer in Reno whose singing career isn't going too well. She witnesses a murder that her married lover commits, and runs away to the police for fear of her life. A detective decides to hide her as a nun in a convent (her name is now Sister Mary Clarence). In the meantime, her ex-boyfriend is searching for her.The convent (St. Catherine's), which is located in a run-down neigborhood in San Francisco, has a very small congregation and a not-so-good choir (made up of a group of nuns). Sister Mary Clarence eventually uses her musical talent to teach the nuns how to sing in harmony, and they sound wonderful, and the cheography that Sister Mary Clarence has them doing makes them gain popularity in their community. Masses are now completely full of young and old, and the Pope even hears of the excellent choir and plans to visit the church.They are seen on television and this is how her ex-boyfriend finds where she is hiding. Deloris is soon asked to leave the convent by Mother Superior asked Deloris to leave because she will bring harm to the sisters and this is when the nuns had mlearned the truth about Deloris. Deloris soon came back to the church to help the nuns have an amazing performance for the pope. The sisters accept her back because she is one of them. Immediatley after the ex-boyfriend and his crew break in the church disguised as nuns trying to kill Deloris. The nuns help protect Deloris, and risk their own lives for her. The boyfriend was soon shot by the police officer who Deloris was starting to fall for.
   This musical is probably one of my favorite because of the many jokes and whittiness. I would see this show over and over again. This show just had everyone having a blast of a night and enjoying amazing powerful soul music and jokes of all kinds. Mary Robert is the young nun who doesnt know what she wants to do with her life and she had a wonderful voice that the audience just adored. Mary Patrick is the hilarious nun who brought humor to the show every time she spoke. Once she was introduced to the audeience she just kept making everyone laugh.
   The set in this musical can show you that less is more. There wasnt much to the set but you understood the setting. They reused parts of the set but they were different locations and it was done very well. For example, the back of the night club was also used as the bar across the street from the convent. The lighting design was also miraculous. Not only did they have regular lighting such as spot lights but parts of the set light up, such as when they were in the convent during Mass, when they had all the repairs for the church  fixed.
   One character that stood out to me the most was Curtis Jackson's nephew TJ. He over exagerated everything he did, which is what you are suppose to do in musicals. He was probably one of my favorite characters in this show. He too got many laugh and he was just so enjoying to watch.
   This was a funny show that I enjoyed very much and recomend to see!

La Boheme

   La Boheme is a terrific opera that the famous musical ‘Rent’ is based off of. It begins in an attic apartment in Paris; a group of young artists of diverse types, are living together in poverty. Their neighbor, Mimi a seamstress, presents herself by seeking light for her candle, while Rodolfo was left alone. They fall in love at first. At the Café; Rodolfo introduces Mimi to his friends, while the elderly singer Musetta abandons her elderly rich lover Alcindoro in order to meet up with Marcello. Alcindoro has been left with the bill to pay for them all. Mimi has lived with Rodolfo after time has passed, but they quarrel because of his apparent jealousy. We learn in a later scene, in the cold weather, that he has planned to leave her. Musseta a contrast in character to Mimi, later goes to the apartment of the four young men, along with her she brings the dying Mimi. They attempt to comfort her but in vain, as she dies before their eyes of the consumption that has racked her.

   This overall opera was stunning. It had the most beautiful scenery for their set, they voices on these actor were just outrageous, and the most unbelievable part that made my jaw drop was when they has snow falling on stage. I was in a state of shock when the curtain had open from intermission and there is a stage with snow falling from the sky. This part of the show has landscaped beauty. Furthermore; I ,during the entire show, was comparing and contrasting La Boheme to Rent. In my personal belief I liked La Boheme better. I might have not understood what they were stating the whole time but I knew the story and it was just miraculous. Although there were some parts that were abstruse to me, but I am young and as I grow older I believe my appreciation for the opera will grow with my age.

Million Dollar Quartet

  Throwback Tuesday! Tuesday I went back to December 4, 1956. I wasn't there alone! There also with me was Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. This show make you feel like your sitting right in the midst of a jam session, with these four amazing artists. It puts you in the studio that very moment. The actors in the show portrayed their characters very well. To be specific, my favorite one in the show was Jerry Lee Lewis, his animation just kept the audience laughing and entertained throughout the whole show.
   Before I went to go and see the show there was a question asked to a mentor of mine (who has seen this show many time before) if this show is more like "Rain" or "Jersey Boys" and he said neither. I didn't understand his remark completely. After I had watched the show I understood exactly what he meant. There is no show like this, it is such a unique show. I didn't exactly believe I was going to enjoy it so much, but I fell in love with this show.
   After the show, I got a backstage tour and was able to stand on the stage with the actual set used in the show. I recently became a tech manager at my school, so to have the opportunity of standing on the actual stage and seeing what its like to be apart of a professional show was very cool to see. To see the comparisons of a professional stage to a high school one is immensely different.
   The overall experience of this show was very neat to be a part of. I most definitely recommend all to go and see Million Dollar Quartet. It will be at the Broward center till November 18. So go ASAP!!!! (don't forget students you can go 2 hours before the show and purchase student rush tickets for $25)

Clifford

I went to Parker playhouse this past Sunday and saw my first children's musical. Clifford the Big Red Dog! It was probably one of the funniest kids shows I've ever seen even though its the only one I've seen so far. It was so fun to watch the children enjoying and having a blast at the show, but it was more fun as a young adult to watch the show. I went to this show with one my best friends and we couldn't stop laughing. But the best part was the audience participation. When the actors would ask a question the children would shout the funniest things "what's your favorite color", then a kid was like "moose"!!! We were cracking up. Then at one point a kid told his mom he wants to go hug the dog and he climbed over the row and she pulled him back over and as she went to sit down ,she fell. I would see it again because of how funny and silly it was and how young it made me feel again. I GIVE "CLIFFORD" 2 PAWS UP!

Forbidden Hollywood

This laugh out loud show was extremely hilarious. I attended Forbidden Hollywood with my friend. My friend usually is silent but this show had her cracking up. This show puts a smile on your face the whole time. To me I enjoyed it because I enjoy spoofs and just the whole aspect of making fun of some things it was out right hilarious. My friend and I talked about the show after and we agreed that since we are from a younger generation we didn't understand some parts but caught on and understood the jokes. My favorite part is the spoof on how they are making Titanic in 3D just to make more money off of the movie. This is a sequel to a show I saw a few years back "Forbidden Broadway". This show was a complete comedy from begining to end. I give this show props for only having 4 actors on board they portrayed every part perfectly.

Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot is probably now one of my favorite musicals. I just have to say this season at the Broward Center is probably one of the best yet. I've enjoyed every show I have attended. But Billy Elliot was by far one of the best. Just watching a musical about dance (one of my most favorite hobbies) thrilled me. The dancing in this show is outrageous. The story line told is  a beautiful story of a young boy with a dream. Watching this show from a dancers point of view totally made it better but watching at a male dancers point of view made it come alive. I related to this musical in my aspect. I started playing a sport that my dad got me into and then when I started dance my dad at first wasn't on board but realized that what makes me happy makes him happy. Then when I saw how Billy's dad was super supportive made me think of my dad. I just enjoyed watching this musical so much it seriously touched my heart.

Rigelloto

I had my first experience of seeing an Opera on Thursday night. It was Verdi's Rigelloto.The storyline of  Rigelloto the jester was super intense. For my first experience at an opera, what an impression it made on me. This specific opera was an edge seater!!!
Rigelloto is an opera  about a young duke who has multiple affairs with many women, and the royal jester mocks all of his relationships. But one day the jesters daughter was kidnapped and in one of these affairs with the duke. This drives the jester to an edge and wants  the dukes dead. So the jester hires an assasign to kill the duke, and on an acccident kills the daughter and sews her in a bag and as the jester drags the bag to throw in the river hears that the duke is talking and alive. He opens the bag and sees his daughter's body and she sings to him of how she will wait in  heaven with her mother for her father. This was a very touching opera. The voices of the 3 leads had such strength and power behind them. I am looking foward to my next Opera.

Jersey Boys

 Jersey boys is most definitely one of my top 10 favorite musicals on this 
planet. I was dancing in my seat to just about every song and singing along with the music.

As the scenery changed you felt like you were right there beside them whether it was in the

recording studio, in the car on the road with them, or in the clubs.But 
the whole production of the show was perfectly put together I would see this 
musical if I would get the chance again and again. Everyone's voices were amazing especially 
the leads voice "Frankie Valli". This musical was so exceptional it probably made 
it to my top 5 and that's pretty good because I have seen over 25 musicals. If 
you haven't seen Jersey boys your really missing out so you better go see it 
because I know I want to go again.
 This show is at the Broward Center til January 29th so go and experience "Oh what a night" it truely is!!!

On December 27 I got to see my first cirque de soleil performance called Cirque Dreams Holidaze.  After Christmas I thought that I wouldnt be able to stay in my holiday spirit but this performance did. This show was probably the most fantastic thing I've seen in quite a while. The whole time I was on the edge of my seat, this show was heart racing, it would  make me nervous to see if the person doing the stunt was actually capable of doing the stunt and all of them were. Throughout the show I was singing along with all the music and having such a great time. They had outrageous costumes that were eye popping. My favorite part of the show is the quick change artists a man and a woman would go from one extremed outfit to another in just a blink of a second. In this show there are various amounts of acts and they just got bigger and better as the show went on. I would see this show everyday of the week if I could, I thought it was phenomenal. So everyone should hurry up and buy a student rush ticket if you can cause if I missed out on this wonderful show I don't think I would ever be able to forgive myself.